Apple trees ring barked advice

[charlie6]

Hi,

I'm after a bit of advice on some apple trees ring barked by rabbits. These are small trees about 25mm in diameter and there are about 4 or 5 of them. I planted planted these for a friend in late summer who got them in large pots from his mother who passed and they weren't in great health. My plan is to cut the damaged section out and graft the section back on, pruned and with rabbit protection. My main question is would it be better to use new healthy scion wood? Also will having twin grafts cause problems? These trees are more for centimental value. Any ideas much appreciated.

 

Thanks Charlie

[Mortimer Firewood]

We had 6 apple trees completely ring barked by rabbits and there still going strong and the owner reckons a there's more fruit on now than before.

 

I know this does not make sense!

[woodyguy]

Difficult to judge without photos but I'd consider doing a bridge graft across the wound which would prevent losing the current top growth.

[charlie6]

I have never done a bridge graft but will look into it. I have not seen the damage but will have a look tomorrow and will take some pictures. A guy a Dobbies said they will bi fine and put a sleeve around!

[se7enthdevil]

i always thought that anything that got ring barked was brown bread...

 

 

seems i was wrong.

 

how badly do they have to be damaged before they snuff it???

[rustcutter]

i always thought that anything that got ring barked was brown bread...

 

 

seems i was wrong.

 

how badly do they have to be damaged before they snuff it???

 

I was taught if your getting rid of a fruit tree ring bark in the spring; it will have one bumper season then it is dead. I was taught that was the practice when old trees were being "culled" out of an orchard just get one last year out of them.

[agg221]

Sometimes rabbits seem to leave some of the cambium intact in young apples, in which case they survive (I had this happen in the 1980s and the trees are still doing well). To be on the safe side, I would go with the bridge grafting suggestion - cut the scions in January, store them in the fridge and graft when the weather starts to warm up and the buds show signs of developing.

 

Alec

[treeseer]

Old trees more like likely to go into shock; young trees have functional parenchyma in the sapwood and the rays, so they can grow callus from inside of the wood.

 

You could plant baby trees nearby and bend them over and graft them above the chewing. Better odds than bridge grafting...?

 

"A guy a Dobbies said they will bi fine and put a sleeve around!" Dobbes is the man; a sleeve will lessen drying of the parenchyma and inhibiting cell division.

[treeseer]

See To the Beech: Deborah Howe | Taking Place In The Trees | Page 3

[CHC]

We get new fruit trees that are double grafted supposed to make a more productive tree. And they can recover from rabbit damage as long as a they have not chewed too far in to the stem